Gull

Word of the Day

Friday, August 31, 2012

Gull \ guhl \  , verb;

1. To deceive, trick, or cheat.

noun:

1. A person who is easily deceived or cheated; dupe.

Quotes:

What new commodities have you brought to gull us with?

-- Sir Walter Scott, The Waverly Novels

People always ended up trying to gull her. It happened sooner or later. Trent hadn't 

shown any likelihood of trying something like this. A pang of regret at her naivety lodged in her chest.

-- Lorelie Brown, Jazz Baby

Origin:

Gull  is of uncertain origin, but it may come from the now-obsolete word gull which meant "to guzzle."

Thanks to: www.dictionary.com 

Crucible

Word of the Day for Thursday, August 30, 2012

Crucible \KROO-suh-buhl\, noun:

1. A severe, searching test or trial.
2. A container of metal or refractory material employed for heating substances to high temperatures.
3. Metallurgy. A hollow area at the bottom of a furnace in which the metal collects.

From the crucible of such inner turmoil come the various metals, soft or brittle, flawed or pure, precious or common, that determine the good runners, the great runners, and perhaps the former runners.
-- John L. Parker, Once a Runner

It was true that as one watched life in its curious crucible of pain and pleasure, one could not wear over one's face a mask of glass…
-- Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Crucible stems from the Old French word croisol which referred to a night lamp.

Thanks to: www.dictionary.com 

Truncate

Word of the Day for Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Truncate \TRUHNG-keyt\, verb:

1. To shorten by cutting off a part; cut short: Truncate detailed explanations.
2. Mathematics, Computers. To shorten (a number) by dropping a digit or digits: The numbers 1.4142 and 1.4987 can both be truncated to 1.4.

adjective:
1. Truncated.
2. Biology. A. Square or broad at the end, as if cut off transversely. B. Lacking the apex, as certain spiral shells.

He pointed out that it was relatively easy to pronounce, though there was the danger that Americans, obsessed with abbreviation, would truncate it to Nick.
-- Jhumpa Lahiri, The Namesake

Tonight we had to truncate the chorus work and replace it with rehearsal of the larger scenes.
-- Chuck Zito, A Habit for Death

Truncate comes from the Latin word truncātus which meant "to lop." The mathematical and computer usage arose in the 1950s.

Thanks to: www.dictionary.com

Compère

Word of the Day for Monday, August 27, 2012

Compère \KOM-pair\, noun:

1. A host, master of ceremonies, or the like, especially of a stage revue or television program.

verb:
1. To act as compère for: to compère the new game show.

Just then, the compère got up on the stage and picked up the microphone. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen…"
-- Kenneth Turpin, Nosy

Then a tall, sidling young man appeared and, after some confusion with the compère, unceremoniously proposed to drink a pint of brown ale without at any point using his hands…
-- Martin Amis, Heavy Water

Compère literally means "godfather" in French. It entered English in the 1730s.

Thanks to: www.dictionary.com 

Antic

Word of the Day for Saturday, August 25, 2012

Antic \an-tik\, adjective:

1. Ludicrous; funny.
2. Fantastic; odd; grotesque: an antic disposition.

noun:
1. Usually, antics. A. A playful trick or prank; caper. B. A grotesque, fantastic, or ludicrous gesture, act, or posture.
2. Archaic. A. An actor in a grotesque or ridiculous presentation. B. A buffoon; clown.
3. Obsolete. A. A grotesque theatrical presentation; ridiculous interlude. B. A grotesque or fantastic sculptured figure, as a gargoyle.

From the subversive to the antic, the uproarious to the disturbing, the stories of Bruce Sterling are restless, energy-filled journeys through a world running on empty.
-- Bruce Sterling, A Good Old-Fashioned Future

Grey Magic is a work of great scope and stylistic virtuosity, combining antic humour with immense sophistication, an Anglo-American setting with an Anglo-European sensibility and a profound insight into contemporary issues of both personal and collective resonance.
-- Richard Leigh, Grey Magic

Antic comes from the Italian word antico which meant "ancient." Apparently, it was associated with the fantastic figures of the Roman ruins and came to mean "grotesque."

Thanks to: www.dictionary.com 

Concertina

Word of the Day for Friday, August 24, 2012

Concertina \kon-ser-TEE-nuh\, verb:

1. To fold, crush together, or collapse in the manner of a concertina: The car concertinaed when it hit the truck.
2. To cause to fold or collapse in the manner of a concertina.

noun:
1. A musical instrument resembling an accordion but having buttonlike keys, hexagonal bellows and ends, and a more limited range.
2. Concertina wire.

Monk is so tall his knees seem to concertina against the dashboard.
-- Michael Robotham, Shatter

As Henderson looked down at his hands, the folds of skin on his face seemed to concertina into a soft place for his chin to rest.
-- Jacquelin Winspear, A Lesson in Secrets

A concertina was named by the inventor who made the instrument, Charles Wheatstone, in 1837. It was first used as a verb in the early 1900s.

Thanks to; www.dictionary.com 

Bole

Word of the Day for Thursday, August 23, 2012

Bole \bohl\, noun:

the stem or trunk of a tree.

...this time found that it was nought alive, but the bole of a tree sitting high out of the water.
-- William Morris, The Water of the Wondrous Isles

He moved toward the bole eagerly. The tree was shorter than it was wide, the branches enormous appendages that flung to the sides in a giant welcome.
-- K.M. Frontain, The Gryphon Taint

Bole stems directly from the Old Norse word bolr which meant "trunk."

Thanks to: www.dictionary.com